FEBRUARY 2023 is BLACK HISTORY MONTH!


EDUCATION FOR BLACK LIBERATION!


Since Carter G. Woodson, an African American historian, founded.

Negro History Week in 1926, our people have made this a tradition. Black/African American History Month every February joins many of our people's 

institutional traditions that encourage with emphasis the need to READ, STUDY, and STRATEGICALLY ANALYZE, as well as APPLY, the history LESSONS of our people's struggles, advancements, victories, and setbacks.


However, this February 2023 with the many battlefronts that our people find themselves on, we must not forget to raise it up and use this opportunity to study our past and present as an urgent necessity for Black Liberation!


From workplace rights, at Amazon, railroad yards, schools & public sector jobs, etc./women's rights, voting rights, environmental -climate justice/gentrification and affordable housing, police violence, various fight backs etc,...,we must READ, STUDY AND APPLY LESSONS from our history for education for BLACK LIBERATION. Liberation from all oppression and exploitation

of CAPITALISM and IMPERIALIST WARS. We can use our study and understanding of history to build a better community, society, and world!


JOIN US throughout the year at the Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center! Check out our calendar below.

February 2023 CALENDAR OF EVENTS


Thursday, February 2; 6:00-8:00 PM; FOL World Cultural Café hosts the EATWELL EXCHANGE’s Nutrition and Healthy Cooking Demonstration. Class is limited and by invitation only. Contact Jasmine at Jasmine@eatwellexchange.org for more information and to request an invitation.


Thursday, February 2; 6:00-7:30 PM; Refund Raleigh sponsored Speak Out Against Racism and Police Violence; Tarboro Rd. Community Center; 121 N. Tarboro Rd.; Text (919) 278-7245 or DM @RefundRaleigh for more information.


Friday, February 3; 5:15 PM; Raleigh Peoples Budget Coalition meeting with Raleigh City Council member Christina Jones at FOLWCC; RSVP to raleighpeoplesbudget@gmail.com.


Sunday, February 5; 2:00-4:00 PM; National Conference of Black Lawyers (NCBL) NC Chapter meeting. For more info, contact Gregg Moss at (704) 773-7388.


Saturday, February 18; 9:30-10:30 AM; Workin’ It Out – a Free Community Zuumba and Toning Class. Plus, we’ll have a 10-minute “Livin’ More than Just Enough” Health talks about overcoming disparities and healthcare access in our communities. So, come out, bring your towel, and be ready to get on the road to better fitness and building healthier lifestyles in Black and Brown communities. Water and healthy snacks will be available. RSVP to Nathanette at (919) 876-7187 or nlmayo5@yahoo.com.


Saturday, February 18; 11:00 AM-12:00 PM; Community Solidarity Gardening Club will meet to begin planning for our spring garden and our spring “Gardening by the Bucket & Gardening 101” class. If you are interested in growing your own healthy food and becoming a member you are invited to attend. Please RSVP to Nathanette at nlmayo5@yahoo.com or call (919) 876-7187 to let us know you will be coming!


Saturday, February 18; 12:00-2:00 PM; Financial Health Workshop Series – Orientation; RSVP Angaza at fruitoflaborwcc@netscape.com.


Wednesday, February 22; 8:00 PM; FOLWCC will host a viewing session of ABC Management’s Let’s Talk Credit Q&A; Free. If you will be viewing the session at our cultural center, rsvp to 919-876-7187 to register your attendance. For at-home viewing, you must register and receive an official invitation. Go to http:/www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-talk-credit-qa-talk-series-tickets-484819818127. Tickets are limited.


Friday - Sunday, February 24-26; Black Workers for Justice Membership Retreat

Reserve the Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center for your Special Event!



The Fruit of Labor World Cultural Center is the perfect beautiful venue for your special event. Contact us today for information about our very reasonable rates and availability. Call (919) 876-7187, 919-231-2660 or

email Fruitoflaborwcc@netscape.com.

AVAILABLE NOW!

Music and songs that inspire, engage, and liberate our spirit!


Enjoy Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble’s Album: State of Emergency


The album is available on

Amazon, Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube Music, iHeart Radio 

and many more streaming services and retailers. 


ALL PROGRESSIVE ARTISTS, CULTURAL WORKERS & ACTIVISTS


INSPIRING MUSIC, ART, CULTURE and making hope and history rhyme is our

challenge in this moment. . .


Today, a new artistic cultural worker MOVEMENT is needed! We can do this with an understanding of the present economic, racial, social and working-class crisis. A crisis caused by capitalism's greed and materialism as well as the need for justice for our people, the working class and all oppressed people. This new revolutionary cultural arts movement must reflect on our peoples' lessons of the past half-century and it must assess the strategic challenges and opportunities confronting a new generation of artists, cultural workers, activists, and organizers.

[Remember or google the" Harlem Renaissance", the 1960s-70s Black Arts Movement (aka BAM), and 1990's Malcolm X / Boogie Down /Fight the Power era, etc.]


Our people in the music, cultural and artistic community in the U.S. are part of

the oppressed sector of the global working class. In this third decade of the twenty-first century, artists must confront conditions that have the potential for advancing justice, and inspiring new music and artistic culture. These same conditions also have the ability to deepen already degenerative artistic and cultural trends with their gaping economic and racial inequality and planetary peril. Black and Brown workers have engaged in protest and organizing in ways that inspire great hope, especially since 2020.


We are angry, organizing, striking, and challenging bosses and the systemic

racism we face. There are growing examples of workers resisting, organizing, standing up, and fighting on a level we have not seen in a very long time since the 1960s. Examples range from the outrage that revitalized our fight back since George Floyd's murder; Red for Ed(ucation) and bus drivers; railroad; Amazon and Starbucks workers organizing; cafeteria, school bus drivers, teacher strikes; to the strikes at John Deere and Kellogg factories. Hopeful strategies are emerging, too. Workers are organizing against Capitalism's GREED in the automobile industry as it transitions to electric vehicles. Innovative organizing initiatives are emerging in tech, retail, banks, and other key sectors of the economy.


Where are the reciprocal musicians, artists and cultural workers uniting as a

REVOLUTIONARY NEW ARTISTIC MOVEMENT that is adding momentum to these

trends with our youth, workers, oppressed and the public? Remember artists like Aretha Franklin's "RESPECT", James Brown’s "I’m Black and I’m Proud", Gil Scott Herron’s "Winter in America"/"Johannesburg", Sam Cook’s "Change Gonna Come", Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday (MLKing), Curtis Mayfield's "MY People Darker Than Blue", Boogie Down Productions’ " FIGHT THE POWER", Queen Latifah’s "U-N-I-T-Y”, as well as music by the FUGEES, Common, KRS-1, Filipe Fiasco and many more. Music that reminds us that the peril we find ourselves in is undeniable!


The world's capitalists are destroying the planet. The world is literally and

figuratively on fire—and flooding at the same time. The polar ice cap is melting, we face growing racist white supremacist fascist movements. Growing wealth and race inequality is exploding because of greed and materialism of capitalists and their huge multinational corporations. The super-rich are flying to space, cruising the ocean in superyachts, and buying up mountain retreats to insulate themselves from the devastation their greed is inflicting on the world. The rich and powerful are making plans to survive and prosper on a debased earth or another planet they colonize.


Before it is too late, we need to figure out how our music, art, and culture can, at

least, try to WAKE UP our people in an attempt to save the planet and organize a

REVOLUTIONARY ARTISTIC TREND ...an inspiring part of a movement of our people, workers, the exploited and oppressed.


LET' S GET ON THE RIGHT SIDE WITH HOPE & INSPIRATION. LET’S GET ON THE

RIGHT SIDE OF JUSTICE AND A BETTER WORLD...


Let’s get busy. Let us artists and cultural workers come together and talk about why we need and how we can help build a revolution that must inspire everyone with our new vision, gifts, and talents!


"Inspiring, informing, engaging, liberating"


Join us

ELDER Angaza Sababu Laughinghouse

for the FRUIT OF LABOR SINGING ENSEMBLE &

FRUIT OF LABOR WORLD CULTURAL CENTER

(919) 231-2660 office landline

U.N.I.T.Y.

by Queen Latifah

Say It Loud ~ I'm Black & I'm Proud by James Brown

Respect

by Aretha Franklin